pyDeid: an improved, fast, flexible, and generalizable rule-based approach for deidentification of free-text medical records.

Objectives: Deidentification of personally identifiable information in free-text clinical data is fundamental to making these data broadly available for research. However, there exist gaps in the deidentification landscape with regard to the functionality and flexibility of extant tools, as well as suboptimal tradeoffs between deidentification accuracy and speed. To address these gaps and tradeoffs, we develop a new Python-based deidentification software, pyDeid.

The prevalence and burden of musculoskeletal disorders amongst Indigenous people in Pimicikamak, northern Manitoba, Canada: A community health survey.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of spine symptoms and spine disability, self-care and care seeking behaviors in a random sample of Indigenous adults residing in Cross Lake, northern Manitoba, Canada.

Study Design And Setting: Orally administered survey in Cree or English to a representative sample of Pimicikamak citizens from the treaty ( = 150/1931 houses) and non-treaty ( = 20/92 houses) land, between May and July 2023. Questions ( = 154) were derived from the 2018 First Nations Regional Health Survey, 2020 Canadian Community Health Survey, and 2021 The Global Burden of Disease study, covering demographics, spine symptoms, chronic conditions, activity limitations, general health, self-care, medication, and satisfaction with care.

Conducting Pairwise and Network Meta-analyses in Updated and Living Systematic Reviews: a Scoping Review Protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review will be to describe existing guidance documents or studies reporting on the conduct of meta-analyses in updated systematic reviews (USRs) or living systematic reviews (LSRs).

Introduction: The rapid increase in the medical literature poses a substantial challenge in keeping systematic reviews up to date. In LSRs, a review is updated with a pre-specified frequency or when some other signalling criterion is triggered.

Efficacy and Safety Results With Rilzabrutinib, an Oral Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Immune Thrombocytopenia: Phase 2 Part B Study.

Current treatments for persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are limited by inadequate response, toxicity, and impaired quality of life. The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor rilzabrutinib was evaluated to further characterize safety and durability of platelet response. LUNA2 Part B is a multicenter, phase 1/2 study in adults with ITP (≥ 3 months duration, platelet count < 30 × 10/L) who failed ≥ 1 ITP therapy (NCT03395210, EudraCT 2017-004012-19).

The Association between Pregnancy Complications and Long-Term Maternal Cardiometabolic Health in the MIREC Cohort Study.

Context: During pregnancy, women who experience certain pregnancy complications show elevations in biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance; however, few studies have examined these cardiometabolic biomarkers in the decade following pregnancy.

Objective: To examine the association between pregnancy complications and cardiometabolic biomarkers 9 years postpartum including: blood pressure, blood lipids, body fat percentage, insulin resistance (glucose, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, leptin, adiponectin) and inflammation (hs-C-reactive protein).

Methods: Using data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort study (2008-2021) we determined 3 groups of pregnancy complications: 1) hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (n=35); any pregnancy complication in the index pregnancy, defined as preterm birth, HDP, impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (n=55); or self-reported recurrence of one of these pregnancy complications (n=19).

We cannot repeat history again: a call to action to centre indigenous leadership as we prepare for the next pandemic.

Indigenous communities worldwide continue to disproportionately bear the burden during pandemics due to ongoing health inequities and systemic exclusion from pandemic decision-making processes. As the global community prepares for the next pandemic, it is critical to prioritise Indigenous leadership and governance within public health responses. This commentary highlights successful models of Indigenous-led pandemic responses during COVID-19 in Canada and Australia.

Perceptions of cervical screening uptake amongst South Asian women in Ontario, Canada: a concept mapping study.

Background: Regular cervical screening can significantly reduce the onset and prevalence of cervical cancer. In Ontario, Canada, South Asian women have the lowest rates of cervical cancer screening among major ethnic groups in the province.

Methods: Using an innovative and participant-driven method called Concept Mapping (CM), we set out to understand how the lives and experiences of South Asian women living in Ontario shape their decisions around getting screened for cervical cancer.

Implementation of a sexual health clinic in an oncology setting: patient and provider perspectives.

Background: Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among cancer survivors, significantly impacting patient and partner quality of life. Despite this, sexual health clinics (SHCs) remain rare in cancer centres across Canada. An innovative clinic was developed at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada to address this significant gap in survivorship care.

When We Make Errors and Do Harm: A Narrative Review of Second Victim Syndrome and Implications for Neuro-Ophthalmologists.

Background: In the aftermath of an adverse event, the first priority is to provide care for the patient, known as the first victim. However, the experiences of healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in these events, known as "second victims", have been largely overlooked. This review aims to consolidate existing knowledge on second victim syndrome (SVS), explore its unique implications for neuro-ophthalmologists, and suggest support strategies to increase awareness and meet the needs of affected colleagues.

Canadian Association of Radiologists Cancer Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guideline.

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Cancer Expert Panel is made up of physicians from the disciplines of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, family medicine/general practitioner oncology, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. The Expert Panel developed a list of 29 clinical/diagnostic scenarios, of which 16 pointed to other CAR guidelines. A rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for one or more of the remaining 13 scenarios.

MRI Radiomics Analysis in the Diagnostic Differentiation of Malignant Soft Tissue Myxoid Sarcomas From Benign Soft Tissue Musculoskeletal Myxomas.

Background: Differentiation of benign myxomas and malignant myxoid sarcomas can be difficult with an overlapping spectrum of morphologic MR findings.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic utility of MRI radiomics in the differentiation of musculoskeletal myxomas and myxoid sarcomas.

Study Type: Retrospective.

Neural processing of naturalistic audiovisual events in space and time.

Our brain seamlessly integrates distinct sensory information to form a coherent percept. However, when real-world audiovisual events are perceived, the specific brain regions and timings for processing different levels of information remain less investigated. To address that, we curated naturalistic videos and recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) data when participants viewed videos with accompanying sounds.

Key Themes in the Care of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Among Immigrant Populations: A Systematic Review.

Background: The care of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires special attention among immigrants due to different disease incidence, phenotype, and risk profiles. We aimed to highlight key themes among existing literature to inform equitable care in all immigrants living with IBD.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Scopus, and ProQuest from inception to February 2023 to identify studies capturing the care of IBD among immigrants who moved from one country to another, irrespective of the timing of IBD diagnosis.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Long-Term Safety of Ixekizumab Treatment in Patients with Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, or Axial Spondyloarthritis: a Post Hoc Analysis of Cerebro-Cardiovascular Events.

Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may confer an increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease, including major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events (MACE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients with these conditions are often exposed for extended time periods to biologics, such as ixekizumab (IXE). Therefore, understanding the risk of CV events, especially MACE, in patients with PsO, PsA, and axSpA exposed to IXE is important.

Quantum-computing-enhanced algorithm unveils potential KRAS inhibitors.

We introduce a quantum-classical generative model for small-molecule design, specifically targeting KRAS inhibitors for cancer therapy. We apply the method to design, select and synthesize 15 proposed molecules that could notably engage with KRAS for cancer therapy, with two holding promise for future development as inhibitors. This work showcases the potential of quantum computing to generate experimentally validated hits that compare favorably against classical models.

Phage therapy could be key to conquering persistent bacterial lung infections in children.

Persistent bacterial lung infections in children lead to significant morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we describe how phage therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits through various administration routes. Ongoing trials are evaluating its safety and effectiveness against different pathogens.

Short-acting beta agonist, antibiotics, oral corticosteroid and association with mortality and cardiopulmonary events in patients with COPD: a retrospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the association between short-acting beta agonist (SABA), antibiotic and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use and mortality and cardiopulmonary outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design: Retrospective cohort study using administrative health data from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2020.

Setting: Alberta, Canada.

Relative efficacy of prehabilitation interventions and their components: systematic review with network and component network meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To estimate the relative efficacy of individual and combinations of prehabilitation components (exercise, nutrition, cognitive, and psychosocial) on critical outcomes of postoperative complications, length of stay, health related quality of life, and physical recovery for adults who have received surgery.

Design: Systematic review with network and component network meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were initially searched 1 March 2022, and updated on 25 October 2023.

Primary care in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Lessons from Ontario.

Objective: To understand the role of primary care in the COVID-19 pandemic to provide insight into its functioning and inform potential reforms.

Composition Of The Committee: The now dissolved Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (Science Table) was formed in July 2020 to provide decision makers and the public with a synthesis of rapidly evolving evidence related to COVID-19. The Science Table was based at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and supported by Public Health Ontario.

Changes in doxylamine-pyridoxine dispensation in Ontario following media attention: Time-series analysis.

Objective: To understand the possible association between media coverage and changes in the dispensation of doxylamine-pyridoxine in Canada.

Design: Cross-sectional time-series analysis using data from the IQVIA CompuScript database.

Setting: Ten Canadian provinces.

Lightweight 3D-printed chitosan/MXene aerogels for advanced electromagnetic shielding, energy harvesting, and thermal management.

This study focuses on the fabrication of 3D-printed chitosan/TiCT-MXene aerogels with varying MXene concentrations (1, 2, 5, and 10 wt%) using the direct ink writing (DIW) method. The inks were freeze-dried to form aerogels, and FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed interactions between chitosan and MXene molecules, leading to increased spacing between MXene nanosheets. Rheological testing showed improved shear-thinning behavior, enhancing printability.

Development and validation of machine-learning models for predicting the risk of hypertriglyceridemia in critically ill patients receiving propofol sedation using retrospective data: a protocol.

Introduction: Propofol is a widely used sedative-hypnotic agent for critically ill patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Despite its clinical benefits, propofol is associated with increased risks of hypertriglyceridemia. Early identification of patients at risk for propofol-associated hypertriglyceridemia is crucial for optimising sedation strategies and preventing adverse outcomes.